In The News -

Michelle Bachelet is elected the first female president of Chile.

A new audiotape turns up from the master comedian – Osama bin Laden – who warned that Al Qaeda is preparing terrorist attacks on the U.S. But said Mr. bin – that the U.S. could avoid all that nonsense if it just agreed to a truce that would allow Muslims to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan.

Homeland security Secretary Michael Chertoff tells a news conference that special ID cards would be issued to Americans who frequently traveled to Mexico or Canada so they could cross the border w/o a passport.

Sheik Jabbar al Ahmed al Sabah – the emir of Kuwait and a strong U.S. ally, is laid to rest in a ceremony attended by thousands in Kuwait City.

Iran will not be deflected from its drive to develop nuclear technology if it is referred to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.

Afghanistan - A suicide bomber drives a motorbike into a crowd of wrestling fans and detonates – killing at least 20.

Iran lifts a ban it had imposed on CNN for misquoting President Mahmoud Ahmadinjad – but it was only in effect for a day. His remarks were quoted on the network as defending the country’s nuclear research as “nuclear weapons.”

The Supreme Court rules that Atty. Gen John Ashcroft had overstepped his authority by trying to punish doctors in Oregon – doctors who helped terminally ill patients die. The Court upheld the right-to-die law.

Lawrence Franklin – a former Pentagon analyst who was part of a plot to change policy in the Mideast – is sentenced to over 12 years in prison. Franklin admitted scheming with two Israeli lobbyists and one other in order to influence U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Al Gore says that President Bush’s record on civil liberties poses “a grave danger” to America’s constitutional freedoms. So Gore now wants a special counsel to investigate Bush’s authorization of warrantless domestic surveillance by the National Security Agency.

New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin apologizes for a Martin Luther King Day speech in which he predicted that his city would be a “chocolate” city once more and asserted that “God is mad at America.”

Russia says it would like the International Atomic Energy Agency to hold off on a referral of Iran to the U.N. Security Council because of its nuclear program.

The Justice Department now has search queries from Yahoo, AOL and Microsoft. Google refused to participate. What do they want the information for?

Technology News – January 15, 2006 -

Apple says because of the iPod – its earnings nearly doubled from the same time last year. Apple earned $565 million, compared with $295 million a year earlier.

Getting into radio - Google says it’ll pay just over $1billion for Dmarc Broadcasting – a company that brokers radio airtime.

Sports News – January 15, 2006

Theo Epstein rejoins the Boston Red Sox – a few months after he turned down a three-year $4.5 million offer with the team.

Legendary quarterback Troy Aikman, who’s heard and seen on Fox as a NFL sports commentator – will announce the NFC championship game between Carolina and Seattle. He’ll be in the booth with Joe Buck.

Entertainment News – January 15, 2006

Passing – Actress Shelley Winters (85).

Passing – Actor Tony Franciosa (77).

Golden Globe Awards 2006 – some winners:

Best picture drama – “Brokeback Mountain”

Best picture musical or comedy – “Walk the Line”

Best actor drama – Philip Seymour Hoffman – “Capote

Best actress drama – Felicity Huffman – “Transamerica”

Best actor musical or comedy – Joaquin Phoenix – “Walk the Line”

Best actress musical or comedy – Reese Witherspoon – “Walk the Line”

Television News- January 15, 2006

On Saturday Night Live – Peter Sarsgaard with musical guests the Strokes.

Terrell Brittenum and his twin brother Derrell – who sang on the “American Idol” season premiere – are in jail – accused of using another man’s ID to purchase a dodge magnum back in June.

Looks like older “American Idol” shows will be syndicated. Look for “American Idol Rewind” next fall.

Wow – some 35.5 million viewers tuned into the “American Idol” season 5 premiere.

Oprah Winfrey chooses “Night” by Elie Wiesel as her monthly book selection.

Music News – January 15, 2006

“American Idol” judge Simon Cowell isn’t happy that winner Kelly Clarkson isn’t allowing songs from her “Breakaway” album – her second – to be used by new American Idol contestants. “No matter how talented Kelly Clarks is, she would not be n the position she’s in now without winning this show. It’s the public who bothered to pickup the phone to vote for her. If she refuses to give songs to be used on the show, it’s like saying to every person who voted for you, ‘You know what? thank you. I’m not interested in you anymore.’”

Late 1970’s pop star Leif Garrett is jailed on suspicion of possessing narcotics and failing to have a ticket on a Los Angeles subway.

Passing – The one, the only Wilson Pickett (the wicket Pickett). He was 64.

Pete Doherty of “Babyshambles” is arrested in London on suspicion of possessing drugs. He used to date supermodel Kate Moss.

Rapper Eminem re-marries his childhood sweetheart – Kim. They ended their marriage two years ago.